Her Family
by Charming SVU Angel
Summary: A conversation between Snow and Regina after they saved Regina's life. Italics are Regina's personal thoughts. Please review.


**_This takes place between the final two episodes of season two. This is a conversation that I would love to see between Snow and Regina. If the characters seem ooc, remember that Regina has just undergone torture and Snow always seems to bounce back and forth in her opinion of Regina and they are discussing touch subjects. _**

**_Please read and review._**

**Disclaimer: Not mine! If it was Regina wouldn't have been tortured.  
**

_They saved me. Snow White and her Prince Charming saved me from Greg and Tamara. Sure, they failed to get the fail-safe so it was all for nothing but they still saved my life. Why would they do that? Besides the fact that they are good. Why would they save the Evil Queen?_

_I woke earlier to Snow bathing my face as she had done when I was disguised. Back when we were so close to fixing our relationship. Back when I actually felt the desire to fix our relationship._

_I woke to that earlier and then James…no David called me family. Of course, he wasn't exactly pleased with the thought but the fact that he believed it touched me._

_Now we have to work together to save Storybrooke. It's ironic. Just yesterday…at least I think it was yesterday, I was prepared to take Henry and destroy the town. Now I'm going to help save it or at least the people in it. What's wrong with me?_

"Regina?"

She looked up to see Snow standing at the curtain, a cautious smile on her face. She frowned to fight the urge to smile in return. "Yes, dear?"

"Emma went to get Henry from Ruby. She's going to tell him about Neal and bring him home," Snow explained.

"Why are you telling me?" she sneered. "It's not like you've kept me informed about what Ms. Swan is doing with my son before now." She forced herself to ignore the hurt on Snow's face. "In fact, I do believe you told me it was none of my business."

"I was wrong to say that. You raised Henry and he wants you in his life. You need to know what is going on. Especially now. Henry is going to need you. He's lost his father and Emma blames herself so she can't comfort him. He needs someone…his mother, to be there for him."

"I will always be there for my son," Regina hissed, offended that they would even think otherwise. "The only time I haven't is here lately and that is because of your family."

"You're my family," Snow said quietly.

"What?"

"I said you're my family. I might not like it, you might not like it, but we are family. You are my stepmother and you adopted my grandson. We are tied together whether we like it or not." Snow took a chance and walked over to sit on the bed.

Regina tensed but didn't move away. She moved her gaze to the wall, trying to ignore the younger woman.

"I know I've said it before," Snow began, then paused. "I'm truly sorry about Daniel."

Turning her head, Regina hid the tears filling her eyes. She didn't want to talk about Daniel, especially with Snow White.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, especially with me, but if we are all going to die, I think we really need to.

"I can't."

"You don't have to talk, just listen. I didn't intend to tell your mother about Daniel. I was admiring the flowers and she found me. Cora sat down with me and…"

"I know!" Regina exclaimed, sitting up. "She was behind it all."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. She kills your mother and your horse just happens to spook when you were near our land?"

"She made the horse spook?" Snow whispered.

"Yes. She arranged for me to be outside and for your horse to run past us. She knew I would immediately go save you. None of it was an accident."

"Do you think she knew about you and Daniel as well? That she tricked me into telling her so I could take the blame?"

"Yes."

Snow sat quietly then whispered. "How long?"

"How long what dear?"

"How long have you known?"

"Since the clock tower. When she revealed that she killed your mother. I put it all together after that."

"And you stayed on her side?"

"She was my mother. She promised to get Henry back for me."

"You don't need to force him back." Snow said gently. "All you need to do is be the girl that saved my life. Henry wants you to be the queen, not the Evil Queen."

"I've always been queen. Everyone else…"

"Added Evil to your name. I know. However, you gave them reason to. You killed my father, you sent Graham to kill me, you ripped people's hearts out."

"I never wanted to be queen. All I wanted was happiness with Daniel." Regina finally allowed her gaze to meet Snow's. "Everything I was, I am, is what I never wanted to be. It's what my mother wanted me to be."

"What do you mean?"

"_Power is freedom_. That is what she told me. She told me to have the people fear me rather than love me."

"And you agreed?"

"NO! That's when I banished her to Wonderland. I never wanted to be my mother."

"But that's who you became."

"I fought it as long as I could. I let Rumplestiltskin teach me magic but I refused to kill. Not until Whale tried to bring Daniel back but failed."

"Whale tried to bring him back?"

"Yes and since he succeeded in this world, I'm guessing he, Jefferson, and probably Rumplestiltskin tricked me. After that I was willing to kill."

"That's when you started wearing darker clothes."

"Yes. I lost the last of my innocence that day. Up until that moment when I was told the effort to save Daniel failed, I still had hope. I still hoped true love would win." Regina gave a harsh laugh. "Who knew you and Charming would prove me right."

"Do you…" Snow hesitated.

"Do I what dear?"

"Do you think if we somehow survive this and get back home, do you think we could start over? Be a family, for real this time?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think we could try?"

Regina looked down at her lap. "If we survive this, we will discuss it then."

"Okay."

Raising her gaze, Regina once again met her stepdaughter's eyes. She took in the hurt, the fear, but most importantly, the regret. Regret for time lost, for family lost. Unable to stop herself, she reached over and ran her fingers down Snow's cheek, much like she had done when the younger woman was in prison. This time, however, the gesture was sincere comfort not false.

Leaning into the touch, Snow briefly closed her eyes.

"Snow?" Regina said softly. "If I had not slaughtered that village, would you really have been willing to start over?"

"Yes."

"I wish I could have a do-over."

"I don't."

Snatching her hand away, Regina straightened and hardened her gaze. "You don't?"

"No." Snow smiled. "If I hadn't been on the run, stealing from you, I wouldn't have met David. We wouldn't have fallen in love and gotten married. If you hadn't cast the curse, we wouldn't have sent Emma through the wardrobe, and Emma wouldn't have gotten pregnant and given Henry up."

"So what exactly are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I would have loved to reconcile with you but with the family I have now I wouldn't change a thing."

They sat quietly for a moment before Regina said. "I didn't know my mother would kill Johanna. I truly believed she would let her go once we had the dagger. I guess I should have known better."

"I shouldn't have tricked you into putting a cursed heart back into your mother. I'm sorry."

"Why did you do it?"

"Rumplestiltskin convinced me that it would be better to save him, that Henry would prefer it. I debated on just giving you the heart but I wanted you to suffer. I didn't realize just how much I would suffer, how much hurting you would hurt me." She paused then added. "I'm not talking about blackening me heart. I mean how it makes me feel to see how much pain you're in."

"Really?"

"Yes. I don't like to see you hurting."

"Even though I have spent so many years trying to kill you?"

"You had opportunities but you never took them. When you were disguised I gave you a knife and turned my back on you. Why didn't you kill me then?"

"I wanted to. That is why I was there. But the way you kept talking about me and how much you wanted me to change and I couldn't do it."

"And the apple? David coming with true love's kiss? You were holding him prisoner and he just escaped? I don't believe it."

"I wanted you to suffer when I gave you the apple. I didn't realize until Henry how much suffering came from breaking the curse."

Snow took a risk and reached over to hug her stepmother. "Henry's doing better. The nightmares aren't as bad as they were."

"What about yours?" Regina pulled back so she could see Snow.

"I don't have nightmares about that anymore."

"What do you have nightmares about?" Regina took note of the younger woman's silence and sighed, answering her own question. "Me. You have nightmares about what I've done to you."

"Regina…"

"No, I understand. I was awful, both in the Enchanted Forest and here," she said. "If you didn't have nightmares, I'd be concerned."

"I also have good dreams as well. Dreams of you and Daniel married and friends with me. That we all had our happy ending together." Snow smiled, lost in the thought. "You were a big sister to me and lived in the castle."

"That sounds lovely."

"Do you think you would have kept in contact with me had you and Daniel gotten away?"

"I don't know. Not right away but I think that eventually I would have contacted you. I would have been curious about if you had a mother." She sighed. "At least then you would have had a real mother."

"You did the best you could with your state of mind. Emotionally, after losing Daniel and banishing your mother, you weren't ready to be a mother. Mentally, you weren't ready because of Rumplestiltskin and magic messing with your mind." Snow assured her. "Besides you did teach me to ride again. Even through your grief you made sure I didn't stay afraid of horses."

"Maybe I should have," Regina said harshly then at the shock on Snow's face allowed a playful smile to appear. "It would have been easier to capture you. I know you were on horseback part of the time."

Snow relaxed at the teasing tone in Regina's voice. "You had me worried there for a moment."

"Don't worry. I can't kill you. My magic is not back yet and I'm still weak."

"Then you should rest," Snow ordered. "I make sure you're awake when Henry gets here."

"Thank you, dear." Regina laid down and immediately felt exhaustion wash over her. She felt Snow lay a blanket over her and to her surprise felt her stepdaughter kiss her forehead but her eyes had already drifted closed so she didn't question the action.

_Not real sure what just happened. Somehow Snow managed to back me into a corner and force me to talk to her. Even more than that she got me to listen to her and kind of apologize. I don't think I actually said the words _I'm sorry_ but there will be time for that later, after we save Storybrooke. Or at least save the people of Storybrooke and go back to the Enchanted Forest. Still can't believe I'm helping that family do this._

_I'm helping Snow White and her family, my family. I like that._


End file.
